History of the CIA — Central Intelligence Agency

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src="/web/20150905060212im_/https://www.cia.gov/images/section-banners/kids-menu/image.jpg" alt="Kids Menu"></p> <h4><a href="/web/20150905060212/https://www.cia.gov/kids-page/">Kids' Zone</a></h4> <p><a href="/web/20150905060212/https://www.cia.gov/kids-page/">Learn more about the Agency</a> and find some top secret things you won't see anywhere else.</p></div><div class="visualClear"></div></div></li></ul></nav></div> </header><div class="main-block"> <section id="main"><div class="heading-panel"> <h1>About CIA</h1> </div> <div class="main-holder threecol"> <div id="sidebar"> <nav class="sidebar-nav"><h2 class="visuallyhidden">Secondary Navigation</h2> <ul><li class="navTreeItem navTreeTopNode"> <a class="contenttype-agencyfolder" title="About CIA Description" href="/web/20150905060212/https://www.cia.gov/about-cia"> About CIA </a> </li> <li class="navTreeItem visualNoMarker navTreeFolderish section-todays-cia"> <a class="state-published navTreeFolderish contenttype-agencyfolder" 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href="/web/20150905060212/https://www.cia.gov/about-cia/no-fear-act"> NoFEAR Act </a> </li> <li class="navTreeItem visualNoMarker navTreeFolderish section-site-policies"> <a class="state-published navTreeFolderish contenttype-agencyfolder" title="" href="/web/20150905060212/https://www.cia.gov/about-cia/site-policies"> Site Policies </a> </li> </ul></nav><div id="portletwrapper-706c6f6e652e6c656674636f6c756d6e0a636f6e746578740a2f434941676f760a6e617669676174696f6e" class="portletWrapper kssattr-portlethash-706c6f6e652e6c656674636f6c756d6e0a636f6e746578740a2f434941676f760a6e617669676174696f6e" data-portlethash="706c6f6e652e6c656674636f6c756d6e0a636f6e746578740a2f434941676f760a6e617669676174696f6e"> </div></div> <div id="content"> <ul class="breadcrumbs"><li><a href="/web/20150905060212/https://www.cia.gov/">Home</a></li><li><a href="/web/20150905060212/https://www.cia.gov/about-cia">About CIA</a></li><li>History of the CIA</li> </ul><article class="description-box"><a id="main-content" tabindex="-1"> </a> <div class="text-holder"> <div id="viewlet-above-content"> </div> <div class=""> <div id="content">  <h1>History of the CIA</h1> <div id="content-core"> <div id="parent-fieldname-text-151034a98c9b40ad3f068d06f49f0463" class=""> <p>The United States has carried out intelligence activities since the days of George Washington, but only since World War II have they been coordinated on a government-wide basis. President <img class="image-left" title="William J. Donovan" alt="William J. Donovan" src="/web/20150905060212im_/https://www.cia.gov/about-cia/history-of-the-cia/Donovan.gif/image_thumb/image.jpg">Franklin D. Roosevelt appointed New York lawyer and war hero, William J. Donovan, to become first the Coordinator of Information, and then, after the US entered World War II, head of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) in 1942. The OSS – the forerunner to the CIA – had a mandate to collect and analyze strategic information. After World War II, however, the OSS was abolished along with many other war agencies and its functions were transferred to the State and War Departments.</p> <p>It did not take long before President Truman recognized the need for a postwar, centralized intelligence organization. To make a fully functional intelligence office, Truman signed the National Security Act of 1947 establishing the CIA. The National Security Act charged the CIA with coordinating the nation’s intelligence activities and correlating, evaluating and disseminating intelligence affecting national security.</p> <p>On December 17, 2004, President George W. Bush signed the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act which restructured the Intelligence Community by abolishing the position of Director of Central Intelligence (DCI) and Deputy Director of Central Intelligence (DDCI) and creating the position the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (D/CIA). The Act also created the position of Director of National Intelligence (DNI), which oversees the Intelligence Community and the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC).</p> </div> <div class="documentByLine"> <br><div> </div> <div> Posted: Apr 10, 2007 08:04 AM<br></div> <div> Last Updated: Feb 18, 2014 12:50 PM<br></div> <br></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </article></div> <aside class="content-box-2"></aside></div> </section><footer id="footer"><span class="divider"></span> <a href="#" class="logo-2"><img src="/web/20150905060212im_/https://www.cia.gov/++theme++contextual.agencytheme/images/logo-2.png" width="61" height="61" alt="Central Intelligence Agency"></a> <div class="footer-holder"> <div class="footer-frame"> <nav class="footer-nav"><div class="info-block"> <h3><a href="/web/20150905060212/https://www.cia.gov/about-cia">About CIA</a></h3> <ul><li> <a href="/web/20150905060212/https://www.cia.gov/about-cia/todays-cia">Today's CIA</a> </li> <li> <a 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